Sectional boiler-furnace.



G. PHELPS.

SECTIONAL BOILER PUB-RAGE.

APPLICATION IILED JAN. 21, 1908.

913,844" Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

c. PHELPS. SEOTIONAL BOILER FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 21, 1908. 913,844, Patented Mar. 2,1909.

3 sums-sum s- Zdibzasws. Mentor CHARLES PHELPS, OF OSKALOOSA, IOWA.

SECTION AL B OILER-FURNA GE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed January 21, 1908. Serial No. 411,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES PHELrs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Sectional Boiler-Furnace, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a sectional boiler furnace of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, in which each section is independent from the others to such an extent that if a leak should occur in any section, it may be quickly and easily disconnected from the water supply, to prevent the flow of water through it, and yet be permitted to remain in the furnace and not in any way interfere with the successful operation of any of the other sections of the furnace.

A further object is to provide boiler sections so arranged that they form of themselves both the outer walls of the furnace, and the inner partitions thereof, and also so arranged that the roduets of combustion may pass through etween the sections inside of the outer walls, so that all of the parts of the boiler sections will be subjected to heat from the fire.

' A further object is to provide boiler sections so arranged that soot and dust cannot accumulate upon them in such quantities as to interfere with the successful operation thereof, and so that no means need be provided for cleaning the boiler sections.

A further object is to provide suitable sides, front, and other parts of simple and inexpensive construction, to be combined with the boiler sections for forming a complete furnace.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 7 Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a complete boiler furnace embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a vertical central sectional View of same. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of a modified form of boiler embodying my invention, and especially adapted for use as a steam boiler. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of one of my improved boiler sections detached. Fig. 5 shows a detail sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig.

2. Fig. 6 shows a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, andFig. 7 shows a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the furnace base is indicated by the reference numeral 10, and is provided at its front uu'th an ash door 11, and at its rear with a flue 12. The base is designed to support the grate l3 and at the rear of the grate is a partition 14 for separating the ash pit from the dust chamber in the rear of the partition 14-.

The boiler sections are all exactly alike, and each comprises a rear wall member 15 having a flat rear face and straight side edges, and a forwardly projecting rib 16 on its inner face. The top member is indicated by the reference numeral 17 and is similar in cross section to the part 15 and communicates therewith.

At the intersection of the parts 15 and 17 is an opening 18 to receive pipes for communicating with a header. The front of the section is indicated by the numeral 19 and is the same in cross section as the part 15 and communicates at its upper end with the part 17. At the lower end of the front 19 is a baffle tube 20 extended substantially horizontally to a point near the rear of the furnace and spaced apart from the part 15. This baffle tube is preferably round in cross section as shown in Fig. 7, so that soot and ashes may not lodge upon its top. It is also of less width transversely than the width ofthe top member 17 so that when two boiler sectionsare placed together, the side edges of the parts 15, 17 and 19 will engage each other while the adjacent edges of the baffle tubes will be spaced apart so that draft passages are provided between them.

At the rear end of the baflle tube is a partition member 21 having straight sides in line with the sides of the part 15, and having a rib 22 on its rear face, and a rib 23 on its front face. At the lower end of the partition member 21 is a connecting piece 24; for providing communication between the partition member 21 and the rear member 15. This connecting view is preferably oval in cross section, as s mum in Fig. 6, so as to form only a slight obstruction to the products of combustion passing downwardly between the partition 21 and the rear wall 15. It however, provides communication between said members and also provides for making the entire boiler section capable of being cast complete in one piece. At the lower end of the part is an opening to receive a wadown-draft flue which is between the partition 21 and the rear wall 15.

In order to complete the furnace, it is necessaryto provide a front for the combustion chamber which is made with a front and rear wall 26 and 27 with a water space between them, said front being provided with suitable doors 28 and 29. The said front rests upon the top of the base and extends to the lower end of the boiler member 19, which boiler member rests on top of said front.

For closing the sides of the furnace, 1 provide the double walled sides 30 with the water chamber between the walls thereof, each side being designed to rest upon the base and to fit against the adjacent boilersection and also to fit against the front. 1 provide for circulating water through the various parts of the boiler as follows: Extended across the rear uppercorner of the furnace is a header 31, which is connected by short pipes 32 with the openings 18 in the sections and also with the Water chambers between the double walled side members. A pipe 33 is also connected with the header 31 and with the upper portion of the furnace front, and a supply pipe 34 extends from the header 31 t0 the point where the heated water is to be used.

Near the bottom of the rear of the furnace is a second header 35 communicating by means of small pipes 36 with the openings 25 of each boiler section, and also with the lower portions of the side members. pipe 37 connects the lower header with the lower portion of the furnace front and a water return pipe 38 also communicates with the header 35.

I have provided a damper 39 in the space between the partition and rear wall near the lower. end thereof, which damper is controlled by a crank 10.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the upper header is made large enough to form a steam dome, and is indicated by the reference numeral 11. A pipe 42 is provided to communicate between the lower header 35 and the steam dome 41, and the usual steam gage 43 and sight-glass 44 are provided, and communicate by a pipe 15 connected with the dome a1, and a pipe 46 connected with the furnace front.

In practical use, and assuming the furnace eraserto be assembled ready for use, it is obvious that the products of combustion arising from the grate will pass upwardly through the combustion chamber above the grate and when they strike the baffle tubes, they will be commingled and thoroughly mixed, so that the smoke and the currents of heated air will unite, and the smoke will be consumed. The products of combustion will passupwardly between the baffle tubes, and then be deflected downwardly between the partition and the rear wall, and will then pass downwardly between the connecting pieces and out through the line 12.

The ribs that are provided on the various boiler section members are for the purpose of giving to said members a large heatingsurface, and yet vsdth a comparatively thin or shallow water chamber adjacent to the heating surface. On the front and rear and par tition members, the said ribs are rranged verticallv and form no lodging place for dust and soot, and on the top member the rib projects downwardly, and hence, no soot or dust can lodge on it. 'lh partsof the boiler section that are substantially horizontal,- are the baffle tubes and the connecting pieces. These are both made with their tops inclined and with circulating passage-ways all around them, so that no dust or soot can lodge on them, as it would be carried away by the products of combustion passing around them.

The outer walls of the furnace may if desired, be provided with a plaster coating to seal the joints between the various boiler sections, but the boiler sections themselves form the walls of the furnace.

Assuming that a leak should occur in any of the boiler sections, then the operator could quickly and easily unscrew the pipes 32 and 36 connected with said section, and put plugs in the headers in place of said pipes. Obviously, this would not in anyway interfere with the operation of the rest of the boiler, and the section would still serve its purpose as a part of the furnace, but of course would not supply heat to the water supply pipe.

Another valuable feature of my invention is that identically the same boiler sections may be used to advantage, either in connection with hot water or steam, as each section has an independent circulation, regardless of the circulation through the headers, and therefore, it hot water is to be used, small headers are used, as shown in Fig. 2, and if steam is to be used, a large steam dome ll is provided in place of the upper header 31. In other respects, the furnace need not be changed for adapting it for either steam or hot water.

I have used the words furnace front and rear for the purpose of clearly designating the respective parts. Obviously, the furnace front could be shifted from its present position to one side, without altering the structure or function of the furnace, and hence my use of the terms front and rear herein, are to be understood as including the sides in the event such a change as above indicated is made.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a number of boiler sections, each comprising a top member, substantially vertical front and rear members, a substantially vertical partition member spaced apart from the rear member, a substantially horizontal baffle tube communicating between the top of the partition member and the front, and a substantially horizontal connecting piece communicating between the bottom of the partition member and the rear, all of said members being formed hollow and forminga continuous chamber, the said baffle tubes and connecting pieces being narrow enough to permit the products of combustion to pass between them when the edges of the othermembers are together, and the top,

front and rear members being formed with hollow ribs on their inner surfaces, and the partition member being formed with hollow ribs on both its front and rear surfaces.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a number of furnace sections, each comprising top, front and rear members, a partition member spaced apart from the rear members, a baflle tube extending from s a second header communicating with all of -L:

said parts near the lower portions thereof.

Des Moines, Iowa, Dec. 14, 1907.

CHARLES PHELPS. Witnesses:

ANNA PHELPS, MAX Franz. 

